Humidifying apparatus



Aug. 11, 1942. R. P. SKERRITT HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Filed May 2, 1940Patented Aug. 11, 1942 UNITED srares ersnr orrics HUMIDIFYING APPARATUSRoy P. Skerritt, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 2, 1940, Serial No. 332,897

2' Claims.

This invention relates generally to air conditioning pparatus and moreparticularly to humidifying apparatus and controls therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedhumidifying apparatus which is inexpensive both as to its initial costand its cost of operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedhumidifying apparatus including a novel gravity feed control meanshaving a remote control to change the quantity of moisture entrained byair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved liquidlevel control device having novel means for changing the liquid level.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section of thehumidifying apparatus and control device therefor;

Fig. 2 is a view shown in longitudinal cross section of a liquid levelcontrol device of the humidifying apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a view shown in cross section, taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view shown in cross section, taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 44 of Fig, 2;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a remote control for regulating the controlof the humidifying apparatus; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view partly in cross section, illustrating howcertain of the control device parts are assembled.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, the present airconditioning or humidifying apparatus includes any suitable type of hotair furnace having a bonnet II from which air delivery ducts (not shown)lead to outlets in the rooms of a house or building to be airconditioned. Within the furnace bonnet ll there is provided an open topreceptacle I2 for water which in the form of vapor is entrained by theheated air passing through the bonnet H. The receptacle l2 projectsexternally of the furnace through the side wall thereof, and thisexternal portion of the receptacle is preferably closed by a cover l3which may be secured in place by screws or any other suitable means.

As shown, the bottom wall, as at M, of the receptacle I2 is angularlydisposed, slanting downwardly toward the external portion of thereceptacle. This angularly disposed bottom wall I4 provides for changingor regulating water surface area exposed to the air passing through thebonnet I I, the water surface area exposed depending upon the quantityor level of the water in the receptacle. As illustrated in Fig. 1, thelevel of the water is such that the maximum surface area thereof isexposed but, as will later be seen, the level of the water may belowered and maintained at a level below the high end of the inclinedbottom wall I 5, thus correspondingly decreasing the water surface areaexposed to the air passing through the bonnet I l.

A liquid level control device, designated in general by the numeral 85,is provided for controlling supply of Water to the receptacle IE tomaintain, within limits, any desired liquid level in the receptacle. Thecontrol device [5 includes a casing having a bottom wall l7, end wallsI8 and I9, and a top wall or removable cover 29, these walls, togetherwith side walls, defining a liquid level chamber 2|. The casing bottomwall I! is arranged below the receptacle bottom wall l4, and in thecasing end wall 18 is provided an outlet conduit 26 which is connectedto an inlet 23 in the receptacle bottom wall M by a suitable fitting 25,which also serve to mount or secure the control device on the outer endof the water receptacle [2.

Extending through the casing end wall l9, an inlet fitting 2'! isexternally threaded for attachment to one end of a water supply conduit21a which may lead from any suitable source of water supply. Gaskets orwashers 28 are provided on the fitting 21 and abut opposite sides of thecasing end wall ill, the washers 28 being held under compression by anut 29 which is screwthreaded onto the outer end of the fitting 21 toinsure a leak-proof connection between the fitting and the casing endwall. Within the chamber 2| a vertically extending, open ended, tubularmember 3!! is provided and has its lower end screwthreaded into the sidewall of the fitting 21 in communication therewith, the upper end of thetubular member 39 providing an inlet port 3| for said chamber having aseat which is controlled by a valve member 32. In the present instance,the valve member 32 is provided with a tubular, or recessed, lower endportion 33 which freely fits over the upper end of the tubular member33, and secured within the valve member 32, against the recessed wallthereof, is a compressible valve face member or seat 32a for cooperationwith the inlet port 3i.

Rigidly secured to the inlet fitting 21 in close proximity to the valvemember 32, there is an upstanding tubular guide member 35 in which asupporting member in the form of a rod or stem 36 is slidably receivedand guided. The stem 36 is provided adjacent its lower end with atransverse aperture 3'! to receive a lever 38 which is pivotallyconnected to the stem 36 by a pin 39. The lever 33 extends through theaperture 31 transversely thereof and adjacent one end is pivotallyconnected by a pin 40 to the upper end of the valve member 32. Rigidlysecured to the other or free end of the lever 38 there is a float 40a.which operates in response to changes in liquid level in the chamber 2|to actuate the valve member 32 to maintain a predetermined,substantially constant liquid level in the chamber 2| and consequentlymaintain a predetermined quantity of Water in the receptacle I2.

In order to provide for control or change of water surface area exposedin the receptacle l2, the liquid level control device is made adjustableto raise and/ or lower the liquid level, which is accomplished byraising and/or lowering the fulcrum of the float lever 38. To this end,an adjustment member 4|, of general tubular form, is provided for movingthe support or pin 39 vertically to move the lever fulcrum to anydesired position between predetermined limits. The adjustment member 4|extends through an aperture 42 provided in the casing cover 20 and isprovided with an internal transverse wall 43 to which is threadedlyconnected the threaded upper end 44 of stem 36, the adjustment member 4|also being internally threaded to receive an up per, externally threadedend portion of the tubular guide member 35. The guide member 35 isprovided with oppositely disposed, vertically extending slots 35a in itsside Wall to receive the lever 38, and the stem 36 is provided with alaterally extending abutment 45 which positions in. one of the slots andserves as a stop member to prevent rotation of the stem 36 or to limitmovement of the stem to rectilinear movement. This stop member 45 alsoserves to aid in properly assembling the parts, as illustrated in Fig.6. For example, in assembling the parts the adjustment member 4| isscrewthreaded onto the upper end 44 of the stem 36 until the lower endof the adjustment member 4| seats against the stop 45 after which theadjustment member 4| is screwthreaded onto the upper end of the tubularguide member 35 until the valve face member 32a is seated. The upper endof the guide tube 35 and the upper end 44 of the stem 36 are provided,one with a right hand thread and the other with a left hand thread, andthe thread on the upper end of the tube 35 has a greater pitch than thethread on the upper end of the stem 36. A shaft 46 is secured adjacentits lower end with a slight play connection to the adjustment member 4|and may extend upwardly within a hollow internal wall 4'! of a house orbuilding, the wall 41 having a recess 43 wherein a manually operablecontrol 49 is provided and secured to the shaft 46 for adjusting theliquid level control device IS. The remote control member 49 may be inthe form of a knob which may be provided with a laterally extending arm56 for abutment with a pin to limit rotation of the knob in oppositedirections.

In operation, the float 40a, operating in response to slight changes inliquid level in the chamber 2|, actuates the inlet controlling valvemember 32 to maintain a substantially constant liquid level in thechamber 2|, the liquid level maintained depending upon the adjustment ofthe lever fulcrum. Since the chamber 2| is in open communication withthe receptacle I2, a substantially constant liquid level will bemaintained in the receptacle, for as the water vapor is driven off bythe heat of the furnace and entrained by heated air enroute to the roomor rooms of the building, additional water is added to the receptacleunder control of the liquid level device l5. If for any reason it isdesired to decrease supply of moisture to the air, it is only necessaryto lower the fulcrum of the float lever 38, which is convenientlyaccomplished, in the present instance, by the manually operable remotecontrol 49. By rotating the knob 49 in one direction the adjustmentmember 4| is moved downwardly which moves the stem 33 downwardly, thuslowering the fulcrum of the float lever 38, after which a lower liquidlevel will be maintained in the chamber 2| and consequently in thereceptacle l2. By reason of the inclined bottom wall M of thereceptacle, it will be seen that the Water surface area exposed to theair passing through the furnace bonnet H can be varied, as desired, andthus the amount of moisture added to the air may be regulatedaccordingly.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail it is to beunderstood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claimsfor many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, an elongated member provided at its upper end with anexternal thread of predetermined axial extent and internally with a boreextending axially from said end downwardly beyond the lower terminus ofsaid thread, said member being formed below said terminus with a slottedkeyway leading into said bore and extending therealong, anotherelongated member provided at its upper end with an external thread ofpredetermined axial extent and of lead opposite that of said firstthread, said second member being adapted for residence within andmovement along said bore and for arrangement of the upper terminus ofsaid second thread above the upper terminus of said first thread, saidsecond member being formed below the lower terminus of said secondthread with a key extending laterally therefrom through said keyway, arotatable actuating member for said second member and provided with apair of internal threads one of which is operatively engageable withsaid first thread and the other of which is operatively engageable withsaid second thread, and a lever extending through said keyway below saidkey into operative engagement with said second member for being movedresponsive to movement of the latter.

2. In combination with means providing a fluid inlet, an elongatedmember provided at its upper end with an external thread ofpredetermined axial extent and internally with a bore extending axiallfrom said end downwardly beyond the lower terminus of said thread, saidmember being formed below said terminus with a slotted keyway leadinginto said bore and extending therealong, another elongated memberprovided at its upper end with an external thread of predetermined axialextent and of lead opposite that of said first thread, said secondmember being adapted for residence within and movement along said boreand for arrangement of the upper terminus of said second thread abovethe upper terminus of said first thread, said second member being formedbelow the lower terminus of said second thread with a key extendinglaterally therefrom through said keyway, a rotatable actuating memberfor said second member and provided with a pair of internal threads oneof which is operatively engageable with said first thread and the otherof which is operatively engageable with said second thread, a leverextending through said keyway below said key into operative engagementwith said second member for being moved responsive to movement of thelatter, and a valve carried by said lever and movable therewith forcontrolling the inlet.

ROY P. SKERRITT.

